Spinning ring and method of making same



June 13, 1961 J. H. FOARD 2,987,871

SPINNING RING AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Feb. 17, 1958 INVENTOR: JOHN H FOARD ATTORNEYS 2,987,871 SPINNING RING AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME John H. Foard, Newton, N.C., assignor to Kiuttz Machine & Foundry Company, Ring Division, Gastonia, N.C., a partnership Filed Feb. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 715,777 10 Claims. (Cl. 57-120) The present invention relates to textile rings of the type commonly referred to as spinning rings" and a method of making the same which rings are used on spinning and twisting frames in the textile industry.

In the production of yarn, the body of fibers being twisted or spun into the yarn passes from thefeed rolls to the spindle by means of a traveler mounted for rotation about the spindle. Normally the traveler is in the form of a small clip hooked loosely over the rim of a spinning ring mounted coaxially with the spindle and adapted to be raised and lowered along the length of the spindle to give uniform distribution of the spun material thereon. It can be said that the critical point determining the quantity of yarn production is reached at the spinning ring and traveler. A spinning or twister frame cannot feed out fibers at a speed beyond the point where the heat from friction becomes so great on the traveler, as it moves around the ring, that it actually burns off of the ring or its usefulness is destroyed. The over-heating of the traveler from increased friction created by excessive speeds not only destroys the traveler itself, but also damages the ring and shortens its life. In the travelers and rings commonly used in the textile industry today, the useful life of a traveler is measured in hours whereas that of a ring is from three to five years.

The problem which presents itself is the reduction of friction between the traveler and the ring to increase the production of yarn and lengthen the useful life of the traveler and ring. Many approaches have been made in an effort to solve this problem, most of which are concerned mainly with the hardening of the material of the ring which is normally made from soft steel. The method of producing a spinning ring in common use in the textile industry today involves an initial polishing of the ring by abrasives after it has been formed and while it remains in a relatively soft state. Following this initial polishing, the ring is subjected to a hardening process. This hardening process generally comprises a heat treatment, such as carburizing or nitriding, which brings the surface of the ring to an extreme hardness of at least 60 Rockwell C Scale.

After the ring has been hardened, it is again polished with abrasive material to give it as bright and as fine a finish as possible. This final polishing is intended to produce low micro-inch surfaces on the ring to reduce friction and consequently to reduce heat to a minimum between the traveler and the ring. The polishing and finishing of spinning rings is very expensive and time consuming. Even when this process is carried out, the spinning ring and the traveler, both of which may be hardened, do not produce the best of bearing surfaces against each other, especially where no lubrication whatsoever is used therebetween.

:Although a common lubricant, such as oil or grease, could be used between the spinning ring and the traveler to reduce the friction therebetween and lengthen the life of the ring and traveler when they are installed on a twister frame, a resort to external lubrication between the Spinning ring and the traveler when they are installed on States Patent 2 a spinning frame is not feasible because of the excessive lint present. In the latter instance, the oil or grease would pick up lint particles and foreign matter adhering thereto to form an abrasive substance which would quickly result in increased wear between the spinning ring and traveler.

The textile industry has experimented with many different materials in an endeavor to produce a spinning ring that would stand up under the dry abrasive rub of a traveler against the rings surface, while at the same time reducing galling and friction enough to permit the trav-. eler to be operated at increased speeds resulting in a greater production of yarn at a lower cost. From a cost standpoint, the use of cast iron as the material from which the spinning ring is made would be highly desirable since cast iron is relatively inexpensive as compared to the cost of other materials conventionally used in the manufacture of spinning rings. However, cast iron is a brittle material unable to withstand any prolonged subjection to a processv for inducing surface hardness therein. Moreover, it cannot be machined or polished to a degree sufficient to pro duce an extremely smooth surface. Consequently, a cast iron spinning ring made by conventional manufacturing procedures if placed in operation would be subjected to excessive friction and, having a relatively soft and brittle exterior, would be quickly damaged or destroyed.

It is an object of this invention to provide a textile ring and a method of making the same, which ring can be used with a traveler moving at increased speeds with reduced friction therebetween-the ring subsequent to being formed being given a heat bath in a solution containing sulphur to impregnate the ring with sulphur and thereby to impart lubricity to the rings surface, resulting in reduced galling, friction and wear between the traveler and the ring.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a cast iron textile ring and a method of making the same, which ring after being formed is subjected to a heat bath in a solution containing sulphur to incorporate the sulphur into the cast iron, thereby imparting lubricity to the surface of the ring which results in reduced galling, friction and wear on the surface of the cast iron ring permitting its use as a spinning ring thus effecting substantial savings in the cost of spinning rings.

Other objects not specifically enumerated will become apparent as the description proceeds, when taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of a ring rail showing the improved spinning ring mounted on a ring holder carried by the ring rail with the upper portion of a bobbin to which yarn is being directed by a traveler mounted on the ring;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective View of the improved spinning ring;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through the ring shown in FIGURE 2, showing sulphur impregnated within the ring.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, FIGURE 1 shows a conventional traversing ring rail 10 of a spinning or twisting machine which has a ring holder 11 mounted in one of the openings thereof. Each ring holder 11 supports a ring 12 on which a traveler 13 is loosely mounted for rotation thereon. The traveler 13 serves to guide yarn Y or similar strand material from a suitable source, not shown, to a rotating bobbin 14 mounted on a spindle 15. It is to be distinctly understood that the ring 12, although referred to as a spinning ring throughout the re mainderof this description, could also be used on twisting machines and any other machine which utilizes a traveler and a ring for guiding yarn or other strand material to a bobbin or yarn carrier.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the spinning ring 12 may have a conventional shape and includes oppositely disposed annular flanges 16, 1'7 having rounded ends and joined together by a connecting web portion 20-; It is contemplated that various shapes of spinning rings may be employed since the exact form of the spinning ringlZ as shown may be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In order to point up the advantages of the spinning ring forming this invention, some background information pertaining to the procedures now in use in the textile industry for making spinning rings will be related. In manufacturing steel spinning rings as practiced in. the prior art, the first, step is to form the spinning rings to the required shape and dimensions by machining themetal. At the completion of this stage in the process, the surface of the spinning ring is rather rough, containing burrs, tool marks and depressions therein. The spinning ring is then given a preliminary polishing by abrasive ma-' terial to remove these tool marks, burrs, etc. At this stage, the metal from which the spinning ring has been produced is in a relatively soft state. It is the common practice to subject the spinning ring to a hardening process by means of a heat treatment, such as carburizing or nitriding, thereby hardening its surface to a marked degree. When the spinning ring has been hardened,,it is polished for a second time with abrasive'material to give it as bright and as fine a finish as possible.

Even when the carburized or nitrided spinning rings in common use have been highly polished so as to, appear very smooth to the eye or hand, it has been determined under microscopic inspection that the surfaces of these rings are very rough. It is therefore necessary that these case-hardened spinning rings be broken in by having successive travelers burnish a smooth surface on each ring before its normal life can begin.

Two procedures have been resorted to by the textile industry in breaking in the conventional case-hardened spinning ring. One method is to operate the spinning or twister frame spindle 20-25 percent slower than normal speed while changing the traveler every hour or so, and then to increase the speed of the'spindle and the time interval for changing the traveler back to normal-gradually as the traveler indicates less burning from frictional hea t; The other method of breaking in the spinning-ring is to, maintain the current operating speed of the spindle and. to change the traveler more often or as it indicates buming or actually flies off of the ring. Each method requires constant vigilance on the Part of the operator as the spinning rings surface can be injured or destroyed by too much frictional heat generated by the-traveler. or by softened metal from the over-heated traveler becoming.

welded to the rings surface, thus increasing friction. It! should be apparentfrorn studying these'procedures now in efiect that the production of yarn must be substantial-- 1y. decreased while; the spinningring is beingfbroken in.

The spinning ring which forms the subject matter of this invention has been developed by a different approach than that adopted in the manufacture of'conventional case-hardened rings. Rather than imparting hardness .to: the spinning ring, as accomplished by the carburizing or nitridingprocesses practiced in the prior art, this inven tion contemplates the use of a ferrous metalspinning ring,

requirements can be obtained by incorporating sulphur intothe base metal ofa ferrous metal spinning ring; The sulphurized layers of the spinning ring have a surprisingly increased resistance to wear and a considerably reduced coeflicient of friction. Sulphur may be introduced into the relatively soft metal, such as steel, from which the spinning ring is formed to a considerable depth below the exterior surface of the ring, preferably to a depth of at least 0.05 mm. and up to a depth of several tenths of a millimeter.

The introduction of sulphur into the soft steel spinning ring produces a dark, dull finish on the ring; not unlike that of a gun metal finish. The ring, whether prepolished or not, acquires a rough and etched surface upon being sulphurized, as shown in exaggerated form in FIG- URE 3. Extensive polishing of the sulphurized ring is not desirable, since this would tend to reduce the luwhich has been impregnated, with sulphur to impart lubricity'to the rings surface thereby reducing galling,

friction and wear betweenthe traveler and ring. Basically; the invention contemplates the use of a spinning ring having a low coefiicient of friction while retaining a high resistance to wear something which is not possible with the case-hardenedspinning rings nowin common use.

" It'll-as: been found that a spinning ring meeting these bricity action of the sulphurized layers of the ring. Thus, the sulphurized. ring retains its dark, dull finish in contrast to the brightly polished appearance of conventionalspinning rings.

Although soft steel. is preferred as the material from which the spinning ring is formed, it has been. found that a .cast iron spinning ring may also be subjected tosulphurization to produce a sulphurized spinning ringsuitable for use in certain installations where travelers made from nylon are employed. In the latter instance, no ex ternal lubrication is' applied between the sulphurized cast iron spinning ring'and the nylontraveler. Cast iron spinning rings involve approximately only one-third of the cost of steel spinning rings. Since cast iron by its natureis more, porous than steel, greater penetration of sulphur within the cast iron spinning ring with resulting increased lubricity canbe achievedtha'n is possible in thecase' of. steel spinning rings.

The spinning ring may be impregnated with sulphur in accordance with the process disclosedin United States Patent No. 2,707,159 to Foucry et al. issued on April 26, 1955. This process involves immersing ferrous metal in a heat bath containing a molten alkaline salt composition having a molten sulphur salt therein in. which the sulphur is incompletely oxidized in an amount sufiicient to incorporate sulphur into the ferrous 'metal. The heat bath may be maintained at the same temperature for impregnating cast iron rings and-steel rings-with sulphur. It has been found that the impregnation-of the; spinning" ringwith sulphur through the use of thisprocessdoes notimpart any hardness to the spinning ringas dothecaF burizing and nitridingipr'ocesses, yet it produces a' spin-- ning ring superior in operation to curburized or'nitrided polished rings. i g

The sulphurized spinning ringforming this invention" may be producedb'yremoving a-ferrous'metal'ringdirecb' 1y from'the forming machine and immersingit in the, sulphur heat bath treatment described in US. Patent .No. 2,707,159 without any additional polishing or hardening. The softer .metalsurfaceof the sulphurized spinning ring. permits the travelerto quickly burnish a smooth surface thereon while the lubricitly'imparted byfthe sulphur to the-ring reduces friction, gallingand wear between thespinning ring andthe traveler. The sulphurizedspinninga ring is accordingly broken in after a fewhours' 0f.;run=. ning time and its'surface-presentsa super-fine finishxwith an extreme smoothness entirely unlike. the surface found on case hardened spinning frings which have been run fora long time. g

To fully appreciate the remarkable' results achieved from'theuse of the sulphurized spinning'ring of, this invention as compared to those attainable from, the case'- hardened spinning ringsncw in commonuse, the following table lists comparative results obtained during, the fbreakingin? periodfor these two types .ofjrings, itibeing understood that in each case, the spinning ringwas initially formed from steel having the same degree of hardness BREAKING IN" PERIOD Conventional Case-Hardened Ring Sulphur-Treated Ring Traveler Traveler Traveler Running Traveler Change Running Time Speed. Change Time Speed,

ft./mi.u. ItJmin.

in 5, 200 1 30 mln 5, 200 1.] 5, 200 2 24 hrs-.. 5, 200 5,200 3 hrs... 5,400

rs. 3 hr. int. for 5,200 4 44 hrs... 5, 700 A 24 hrs. 4 hr. tut. ior 5, 200 5 118 hrs. 6,000

24 hrs. 8 hr. int. for 5, 200 6 120 hrs... 6, 000

72 hrs. 7 24 hr. int. lor 5, 200 72 hrs.

(Int. refers to time interval".)

In interpreting the above table, it should be noted that the conventional case-hardened ring required a traveler change after the first thirty minutes of running time. For the next six hours, a traveler change was required after each hour of running time. Following this period, for the next six hours, a traveler change was required after each two hours, of running time, etc. After completion of the breaking in period for a conventional ring, a traveler change is required approximately every 60 hours throughout the normal life of the ring with the traveler speed remaining at 5200 feet per minute. In the final stage of the breaking in period for a sulphurized ring, the traveler was changed every 120 hours for a two month period. At the end of this period, the traveler was allowed to remain on the spinning ring up to 240 hours without changing the same, with the traveler speed at 6000 feet per minute.

The above comparison is startling in the over-all results to be obtained from the use of the sulphurized spinning rings. From the above schedule, it has been estimated that a reduction of 75 percent of traveler costs alone can be attained. Since the traveler with the sulphurized spinning ring may be maintained at a higher speed than that used with the conventional case-hardened ring, it is also possible to increase the production of yarn approximately 16 percent based on these figures. Another factor favorable to the use of the sulphurized spinning rings is the saving of time and production which would be lost when the frames are standing idleduring traveler changes.

It is the custom of some operators to remove a worn traveler from a spinning ring by striking and breaking the traveler off of the spinning ring with a small hammer. Where the spinning ring is made from soft steel which has been sulphurized and thus exhibits a relatively soft surface, a blow from this small hammer on the traveler could cause a dent or crease to appear on the spinning ring with a resultant increase in friction between this ring and the new traveler installed thereon. Moreover, in the production of yarn from certain types of fibers, an abrasive action of increased magnitude is incident against the spinning ring. Under extreme conditions such as these mentioned, it would be desirable to use a spinning ring having a surface with a low coefiicient of friction and hardness as well.

However, it should be understood that one of the natural consequences of sulphurizing the spinning ring is a reduction in the surface hardness of the ring. Subjecting a sulphurized spinning ring to a case-hardening process for the length of time required to produce a casehardened ring results in a destruction of the desirable properties to be obtained from the sulphurizing process. Overcoming this difficulty to produce a spinning ring having surface hardness to resist excessive abrasive wear and having sulphurized layers effective to reduce the 6 amount of friction between the ring and 'its traveler would appear to be unlikely in view of the opposite effects brought about by the use of the case-hardening and sulphurizing processes in regard to the surface hardness of the ring. Nevertheless, this has been done as will subsequently be made more readily apparent.

In producing such a spinning ring, the ring is initially machined to the desired shape from a suitable piece of ferrous metal in a conventional manner. When the ring has been formed, it may be polished and burnished to remove burrs, tool marks, and other noticeable imperfections from its surface. The ring is then subjected to a case-hardening process to induce a surface hardness above ,60 Rockwell C Scale in the ring. Any suitable process for inducing surface hardness in the ring may be employed within the spirit of this invention. Sulphurizing of the ring in accordance with the process disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,707,159 follows, wherein the previously hardened surface of the ring is softened. The ring is thereafter subjected to a suitable case-hardening process for the second time to again induce a surface hardness above 60 Rockwell C Scale in the ring. It is important to carefully control the time element of the second casehardening treatment. If the duration of the second casehardening treatment is too long, the surface hardness of the ring will be restored, but the beneficial properties obtained from the sulphurizing process will be lost; if too short, the desired surface hardness will not be restored. The method described will produce a sulphurized spinning ring having a surface with a low coefficient of friction and hardness of at least 60 Rockwell C Scale.

By way of a preferred example, the case-hardening heat treatment comprising the immersion of a ferrous metal in a molten bath of cyanide salts activated by a flow of ammonia gas and known as Chapmaniz-ing, disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,975,058 to Bennett issued on September 25, 1934, has been employed. After several rings had been formed, they were Chapmanized" for 2 /2 hours at 1520 F. to induce a surface hardness therein of at least 60 Rockwell C Scale. Quenching in oil at F. followed until the rings had cooled.

At this stage, the rings were impregnated with sulphur in accordance with the process disclosed in US. Patent No. 2,707,159 at 1050" F. for 3 hours, at the end of which time the surface hardness of the rings had been reduced from at least 60 to approximately 40-41 Rockwell C Scale. The second Chapmanizing treatment was then given to the rings, being carried on at 1570 F. for a 2 minute period, whereupon the surface hardness of the rings was restored to at least 60 Rockwell C Scale while retaining the lubricity properties acquired from the sulphurizing process. The rings were quenched in oil at 130 F. until they were cooled upon being removed from the second Chapmanizing heat bath.

Another preferred manner of restoring surface hardness to at least 60 Rockwell C Scale to sulphurized rings while retaining the lubricity properties acquired from the sulphurizing process involves the substitution of electrical induction heating for the second Chapmanizing treatment. The rings are heat treated by conventional electrical induction heating procedures at elevated temperatures for a period of several seconds, following which a surface hardness of at least 60 Rockwell C Scale is restored to the rings while the beneficial lubricity properties acquired from the sulphurizing process are retained in the rings. As before, oil quenching at 130 F. follows until the rings are cooled. In using electrical induction heating to restore surface hardness to the rings, it is important to control the temperature at which this procedure is carried on in relation to the time required to restore the desired surface hardness of at least 60 Rockwell C Scale to the rings, the temperature being dependent upon' the time required and vice 'versa.

Although the sulphurized case-hardened ring may be used as a spinning ring following the completion of the assign burnishing" by suitable meansisuch as'ahig ea ements smooth it'for'fui'thef reducing 'the length of therequired breaking in" period Duifiiigtliis burnishing care must'be ta'kento 'insurethat the greater por tion of" the sulphurize'd layers is not reme veag -ss this would detract from the over-all 'lubricity"eiiect of thesulphurized layers. The generalappearaiic" of the'sulphurized case-hardened spinning ring'to the eye is much the same as' that described in connection with a spinning ring which has been sulphurized only. The sulphurized "casehardened spinningring has a darkg'dull fi'nish, perhaps not quite as dark as the 'tinish of'the suiphsnzedsprnnmg ring; and a rough and etched surface, as'shown'dn exag geratcd form in FIGURE 3. The, following'table lists the breaking in schedule adopted for summarized-case: hardened spinning rings, made from steel having'the' same initial hardness as that in the ringsused astest" samples in the previous'table, whicli were produced by'the pi'e ferred example described above:

BREAKING 1N Pardon Suiphizi'izd case-hardened ring I unning Traveler Time Speed.

ftJmin.

Traveler Change Following the third traveler change, the sulphurized case-hardened ring was considered brokenin arid sub sequent traveler changes were made after 240 hours of running time, although an examination of the traveler at the end of the 240' hour period would indicate that it could be run even longer if desired. It is thus apparent that a comparison of the operating results to beobtained from a sulphurized case-hardened spinning ring and from a conventional case-hardened spinning ring, indicates an even greater super-iority in favor of the sulphurized casehardened ring than was the case when comparing the ring which had been sulphurized only with the conventional case-hardened ring.

In instances where external lubrication may be applied between the spinning ring and its traveler, such as when the spinning ring and traveler are installed on a twisting machine, it has been determined that a sulphurized spinning ring has a tendency to retain the lubricant better than conventional rings. This phenomenon may bedue to-the porous nature of the sulphuri'zed layerson the, spinning ring.

it isthus apparent that there has been disclosed a sul phurized spinning ring which may or may not be provided with case-hardening depending upon the use to which it isput, said spinning ring contributing materially to the life of its traveler and thereby allowing increased production of yarn, since greater traveler speeds can besafely attained. Although at this time, it is not possible to determine the average life of a sulphur-ized spinning ring itself, there is every reason to assume that it will be substantially longer than the 3-5 years of service'obtained from conventional spinning rings.

Inthe drawings and specifications,- there have been set forth preferred embodiments of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used 'ina generic descriptive sense only and not for purposes of. limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim: I

l. A'textile ring for spinning andtwisting machines,

8 sulphurized surface layeis' inipaiting lubricity to the sur face of the ring and reducing its coefiicient of friction, at least the outermost sulphurized surface layer of said ring presenting a case-hardened exterior wearing'surface on said ring, and said case-hardenedexterior-Wearing surface' retaining the lubricity and reduced coefiicient offriction imparted by said outermost sulphurized surface layer, whereby the exterior Wearing surface of said te-xtile ring possesses hardness, lubricity, and a reduced coeti'icient of friction V 2. A textile ring as defined in claim 1,.Wherein said sulphurized surface layers have a depth of at least 3. A textile ring as defined in claim l, w her'ein the exterior wearing surface of said ring has a hardness of at least 60 Rockwell C, Scale. h

4. A textile ring as defined in claim Lwherein said ferrous metal is steel.

5. A method'of. treating a ferrous metal textile ring for use in spinning and twisting machines to. increase its v resistance to wear while lowering the coefficient of friction of its surface comprising the steps; of case hardening the surface of the ring, impregnating the ring with sulphur whereby the surface hardness of the ring is decreased and lubricity is imparted thereto to lower the coefiicient of friction of the surface of the ring, and case hardening the surface of the ring for a second time to restore its hardness while retaining its lubricity.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the surface hardness of the ring is restored to at least '60 Rockwell C Scale.

7. A method of treating a ferrous metal textile ringl foruse in spinning and twisting machines to increase its resistance to wear while lowering the coeflicient of frictionbf itssurface, comprising the steps of immersing the ring in a heated bath of cyanide salts, activated-by a flow of ammonia gas to case-harden the surface of the ring, ,submerging the ring in a heated bath of a molten alkaline salt composition containing a molten sulphur salt in which the sulphur is incompletely oxidized to a degree sufficient to impregnate the ring with sulphur whereby the surface hardness of the ring'is decreased and lubricity is imparted thereto, and repeating the first casethe surface" hardness of the ring, is decreased and lubricity is impartedtheret'o tolower the coefiicient of friction of the surface of the ring,, and repeating the step of case-' hardening the'jsurface of the ring for the length of time required to restore case-hardening to the surface of the ring without destroying its lubricity.

lO.'A method of treatinga ferrous metal textile ring for use. in spinning and twisting machines to increaseits resistance'to wear while lowering the coefficient of friction of its surface comprising the steps of immersing the ring in a heated bath of cyanide salts activated by a flow of ammonia gas to case-harden the surface of the ring, submerging the, ring in a heated bathof .a molten aL' kaline salt composition containing a molten sulphur salt in which the sulphur is incompletely oxidized to-a degree sufficient to impregnate. the 'ringwith sulphur whereby the duction heating'to adegree sutiicient to restore casesaid ring being made of ferrous metal and being impregnatedwith-free sulphur to a degreesufii'cient-to provide hardening to the surface of the ring-without destroying its lubricity. V l. r

(References on following page) References Cited in thy file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Booth Apr. 13, 1869 Husband Feb. 27, 1883 5 Crompton Aug. 10, 1926 Bennett Sept. 25, 1934 Lea'ninger Dec. 27, 1949 10 Foucry et a1 Apr. 26, 1955 Stahli July 9, 1957 Argenta et a1. June 10, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS Australia Apr. 29, 1957 Great Britain July 19, 1950 

